by harrisonburgarchitect | Jul 6, 2012 | Charles Hendricks, citizen architect, Harrisonburg Architect
As we stand at the edge and look towards the future, I wonder if we will start to build bridges or continue to erode the banks. As we continue to borrow against our future, our children’s future, we are damaging the fabric needed for success. We fight for things that benefit ourselves right now without thinking through the issues in a holistic manner. We throw insults and accusations at those in leadership to discredit them often simply because they are not on our ‘team’. We shove people in a category because they have voiced an opinion about one issue, at one time, concerning one matter. We are ripping away the power of thoughtful discussion and compromise. We are tearing down the pathways to unity and power all in the name of money, taxes, ‘freedom’. As we stand at the edge I wonder if you will reach out your hand to help me up or continue on your way without looking back.
Every decision we make has an impact. You can choose to support those looking to build community or those looking to build themselves. What do you want our future to look like? What do you want to pass down to our children? Will you stand up for those making decisions that do not benefit you today, but rather benefit us in the long run? Will you make changes to your lifestyle today that reduces air and water pollution in the future? Will you change your shopping patterns to support your neighbors even though it may cost you more cash today? Will you stop spreading hate so that your children can experience a world that puts respect, conversation, and community as a top priority?
I don’t have the answers and I struggle to make the right changes myself. I am always looking for a better way, but often fall short. We are standing at the edge of an ecological disaster, a financial meltdown, an energy nightmare. We are facing serious climate change issues, over fishing, agricultural deprivation of soil, polluting chemical companies, ozone layer deprivation, waste disposal problems, energy production issues, energy grid failures, overpopulation, food shortages, water pollution, poor fiscal policy, political lobby groups, and communication failures just to name a few. How can we ever overcome all these challenges? How can we get past the political maneuvering of those with money and power and make a real change in our community? We only have one option that can provide success – we have to come together, as a community, as a nation, and as a family and work towards a positive future. We need to stop fighting for power and instead work to help each other.
“The encouraging thing is that every time you meet a situation, though you may think at the time it is an impossibility and you go through the tortures of the damned, once you have met it and lived through it you find that forever after you are freer than you ever were before. If you can live through that you can live through anything. You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, `I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ The danger lies in refusing to face the fear, in not daring to come to grips with it. If you fail anywhere along the line, it will take away your confidence. You must make yourself succeed every time. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
— Eleanor Roosevelt
You Learn By Living (1960)
by harrisonburgarchitect | Jun 29, 2011 | citizen architect, community
Harrisonburg Valley 4th
Harrisonburg Valley 4th is a celebration of independence, history, and music. This annual event is the place to be in Harrisonburg on July 4th. The Explore More Discovery Museum is open from 4:30 – 7:30 pm to all children, the parade starts at 5:00 pm, and there is a pie eating contest at 6:00 pm. I am personally looking forward to the “dunk a local celebrity dunking booth.” Stay for the day downtown to celebrate and enjoy the fireworks at 10:00 pm from One Court Square.
July 4th, 2011
12 Noon
Reading of the Declaration of Independence by David Hatmaker at the East door of the Court House. Presented by the Sons of the American Revolution, Fort Harrison Chapter, for the 16th consecutive year.
12:30 p.m.
“Hidden Secrets of Harrisonburg” Walking Tour by Dale McAllister
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Cruise In sponsored by the Harrisonburg Rotary Club
3:15 and 4:00 p.m.
Court Square Theater hosts No Strings Attached, which include two 30-minute live improvisational comedy shows. Free admission.
4:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Asbury United Methodist Church presents “Musical Fireworks” including Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever arranged for organ duet. The concert will benefit the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Admission is free. (Attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable canned goods)
4:00 and 7:30 p.m.
Free concerts in the First Presbyterian Church parking lot. Southern Gospel Quartet “Calvary’s Mercy”
4:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Children receive free admission to the Explore More Discovery Museum. To learn more about the museum, click here.
5:00 p.m.
The Nelson Rocks Outdoor Center Parade will begin at 5:00 p.m. The parade travels from the City Municipal Lot to the Rockingham County Administrative Office Building.
- Grand Marshal: Martha Bogle, Superintendent of the Shenandoah National Park
- Parade announcer and concert emcee: WSVA’s Mike Schikman
- Parade music: Performed by City of Winchester Pipes and Drums
6:00 p.m.
Pie Eating Contest
6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Enjoy live music at the Concert Stage
- 6:30 p.m. – National Anthem by Dave Napier
- 7:00 p.m. – Downbeat Project
- 8:30 p.m. – DJ Wiliams Projekt
3:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Family Fun Activities, which include:
- Dunk a local celebrity in the Dunking Booth
- Massanutten Adventures Climbing Wall
- Free face painting by Rosie the Clown sponsored by StellarOne (3-5 p.m.)
- Cow Train Rides by Hess’s GreenHouse
- Large Inflatables at the First Presbyterian Church, including a jumping tent, obstacle wall, and a double slide more than 20 ft. tall
- and more!
3:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Food and craft vendors open with an assortment of goodies.
3:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Beer Garden presented by VA Eagle Distributing Beer Garden, located in the Bank of America parking lot. 2 ID’s required. Children are permitted if accompanied by adults. Beer tickets are $3 each or or 2 for $5.00
10:00 p.m.
Grand Fireworks Finale from One Court Square in downtown Harrisonburg
by harrisonburgarchitect | Mar 26, 2011 | Charles Hendricks, citizen architect, family
Balancing life: being Dad
I have been accused many times of not sleeping in order to do the amount of work that I accomplish each week. I promise you that while I am involved in many activities, events, and efforts, I do get plenty of sleep. I do worry though that I am sacrificing things in my life that I will regret later. I worry about the little things that I don’t spend time doing, like attending social events to better get to know people in the community. Anyone that has seen me knows that I have not given proper attention to being healthy. While I don’t have many of the vices that one may suffer with in modern society, I do have a lack of desire for exercise and eating healthy and I worry what this will result in over the coming years. However, My biggest fear is that I am not spending enough time with my family. I struggle with balancing life: being Dad.
Over the past several weeks there has been a change in the normal pattern that I hope to continue. I have worked hard to get the garden set up. The girls have helped me with the process, sometimes actively, sometimes taking breaks, sometimes forgetting completely about the garden and just running around the yard. We have also enjoyed several family outings these last several weeks that were focused on my daughters. Last Saturday, the girls dressed up like Thing 1 and Thing 2 and we drove 1 1/2 hours to Hooville (Charlottesville) to meet the Cat in the Hat and watch a 30 minute cartoon on the big screen at the Paramount Theater. A couple of weeks ago we attended Annie at Four County Players, staying up very late for the girls and also me, but I will never forget the way they both had their eyes glued to the stage the entire time. Even better, thanks to our friend, Tracie Skipper, the girls got to meet the amazing actress that played Annie after the play. (by the way, I highly recommend making a trip to Barboursville to see a play at Four County Players, they do an incredible job). It is hard to find balance in life to be the best dad, best architect, best husband, best committee member, but that is my goal. While I know something always has to give, I can assure you that I will never give up trying to be the best.
by harrisonburgarchitect | Mar 24, 2011 | citizen architect, Green Building
One of my favorite quotes in the architectural world, “design is the first sign of human intention” ~ William McDonough, sets the stage for how architecture should be approached. Architects should focus on delivering design that will save money, save energy, reduce environmental impacts, and serve the intended use to the best of their ability. It all starts with design: setting the right priorities and understanding the process.
Let’s examine this notion of design. Take a step back and look at the process of creating a family calendar, a list for the grocery store, a vacation itinerary; these are all your designs for these activities. So how does making a grocery list apply to designing a building? It is essentially the same process of designing a solution. You can scatter shoot and simply make a list of things needed, without any thought to how the items will best fit together. This process will waste your valuable time in the store. Or you design the most efficient solution to the problem keeping items on the same aisle grouped together on the list. In other words, you have to understand the process, materials, and members of the team to best design a solution that is most efficient. If you understand the store layout, know how the products are arranged, and know which cashier is most efficient, then you can maximize your investment, time, used to accomplish the task.
In designing a building, an architect is trained to maximize your investment through design. The architect understands the pieces of the puzzle, the materials, the efficiencies of systems, and the members of the project. While anyone can purchase a floor plan design software at a big box store and put rooms together, they don’t understand all the complex pieces of the puzzle. Builders can deliver a house that provides shelter, but can they make sure that the spaces function to optimal performance for daily living. I contend that only an architect can bring all the pieces together, understanding how to design the most efficient solution, how to best use the materials, how the integration of systems impact spaces, and how the roles of the team members impact the end product. Yes, hiring an architect will cost more on the front end, but you then can achieve the most efficient design that meets your goals. Hiring an architect will save you money through energy-efficiency, by using materials to the best of their means, and by creating space that meets your daily lifestyle goals. Hiring an architect is your first sign of intention that sets the standard for your project.
